It started with an announcement.  But in reality, it was a pronouncement.  Business as usual in the NBA was no longer an option.

The mighty Lebron was no longer Cleveland's favorite son.  Not only did he make new living arrangements, he made them with two of the most dominant players in the league.  

 

(Photo: Gimme Your Lunch Money!!)

Suddenly there was a new evil empire, and they already had more nuclear weapons than the good guys.

It was a move that made global headlines. But not one viewed favorably by the masses. The whole "Decision" fiasco had created a monster out of a team that frankly, should have obliterated opponents like they literally were monsters.  

 

But forgetting all that, it seems as if someone hit the reset button on the whole league. Things can no longer be taken for granted and past events may no longer dictate the future.

 

Who knows what happens next?

 

For the first time in my life, the NBA is a mystery to me, in the most uncertain sense of the word.

 

Think of all of the preconceptions that were shattered and abandoned.

 

Does anyone think Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are invincible anymore?

 

 

Certainly not.  In fact, the way they played - and conducted themself - in their second round series against the Mavs,  was almost enough to put a black mark on their unbelievable run of championships.  

 

They were swept and humiliated.  All those experts (and fans like myself) had spent the whole year explaining why Kobe was a "winner" while Lebron James was certainly not, at least to this point.  All of the propaganda, all of the criticism of the Heat, and all of the confident pronouncements made in defense of the "Black Mamba."

 

What did he do to seize the moment?

 

Nothing.  Nada.

 

Gone in four games.  Losing by more than 30 points in the final game.  A game infamous for the over the top thuggery of Andrew Bynum.  Elbows were thrown, Shirts were ripped off, and eventually sincere apologies were given.  Basically, if a scenario was created that would somehow remove the luster from a team that had won 5 recent championships, this would be it.  This was a shot across the bow from the Mavericks - and more importantly, the rest of the nba- that there was no longer a script.  

 

Quite the ignominious defeat of the defending champs.  And the future is not exactly shining brightly.  The team is still a contender, no doubt, but not a slam dunk.  There are certainly a ton of legitimate questions to ponder over the future of this franchise.  

And, in case you missed it, the Zen Master is gone.  After all those championships.  All the unobstructed glory.  He coached the most classic players from two separate eras of B-Ball.  Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.  Kobe and Shaq.  Most of their greatest moments unfolded right in front of him.  And many of them came straight from his playbook.

We salute you Phil Jackson.  Just 20 years earlier, he was making his bones in Chicago, defeating the Lakers for his first championship.  Things took off from there.  

Until 2011.  

Kicked to the curb (and into retirement) as if it had been easy all along.  And not only his reputation suffered.  Our generation's closest thing to Jordan, Kobe Bryant, was dealt a confusing blow to his legacy.  A consistently dominant "Winner" had lost.  Not just lost, but destroyed.  BY AN UNDERDOG.  

Its apparent that things could not have gone more wrong.  But oddly enough, this was the trend of the 2010-2011 Basketball season.

The Times They are a Changin'.  

Think of the strangest, most confounding scenario, and there is a damn good chance it would have happened this year.  But only if you DIDN't expect it.

The mighty Celtics felt similar shame.  They were the odds-on favorite to win the Eastern Conference during the preseason.  They had just taken a mighty Lakers team all the way to the seventh game of the finals the year before.  They were primed for success from the very beginning.  

Until the season began winding down.  Suddenly, they found themselves slipping in the standings nightly to a Miami Heat team with a chip on their shoulder, and shockingly, an upstart Chicago Bulls team.  

When the bleeding stopped, they found themselves in third place.  And by the time the Heat took them down in five games, it was not much of a surprise.  They had lost their mojo.  Rondo was injured.  Kendrick Perkins had been dealt.  Garnett was making more headlines for his taunts at opponents and his recent inability to make clutch plays.  

They may have been overrated from the start.

(Photo: Kobe, the Black and White Mamba)

 

And what about our Chicago Bulls team that was mentioned earlier.  No one remembers seeing them listed as a championship contender in the coming year.  In fact, it was basically split 50-50 amongst sportswriters, as to whether they would even win their division.  

In what may have taken the cake, as the biggest "out of nowhere" shock, those Bulls took the whole league by storm, led by their spectacularly talented "Power Guard", Derrick Rose.  

It didn't matter that BOTH Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah spent massive stretches of time on the injured list, the wins kept pouring in.

During the last portion of the season, they went an incredible 12-0 against the elite teams in the league.  That simply boggles the mind.  

Think about it.

Even if they played the Cleveland Cavaliers 12 straight times, by sheer odds, they would most likely lose a few games.  Now, replace the Cavs with the absolute best of the best in the NBA.  

And all they did was win every single game.

The odds against this happening were astronomical.  

Put simply, it should not have occured. 

But its 2011.  Take your preconceptions and leave town.

At the center of this string of success was the vastly improved Derrick Rose.  Everyone thought it was cute when he told a crowd of reporters that he did have a chance at taking home an MVP trophy.  It seemed like a preprogrammed response to criticism that he was not more vocal.

"Why can't I be MVP of this league."

We all believe him now.  He became a strangely enthralling mix of highlight insanity, clutch plays, and quiet confidence.  Welcome to superstardom.  Welcome to perverse expectations.

Plenty of other stories had their time in the sun.

However, by and large, the expected ones didn't live up to their billing.  

From Boos to Losing

Yes, Lebron's return to Cleveland was a horrific spectacle.  But really only for one quarter.  LBJ was hitting everything that night.  Miami built a huge lead early on, and coasted for the rest of the game.  By the fourth quarter, James was done.  And so was the resolve of the Cavaliers crowd.  Booing tailed off, and the aisles filled with unsatisfied and dejected ex-Lebron fans who wanted just a bit more blood.  In reality, there was nothing to cheer OR boo about from virtually the end of the first quarter onward.

For Cleveland, it was supposed to be a therapy session.  Instead it became a graphic and humiliating reminder of the singular talent that they would never again possess.  

If only it had been somewhat competitive.  If only Lebron was having an average night.  

Sorry Cleveland.  

At least you still have Trent Reznor. 

Right?

via lh6.googleusercontent.com

 

 

Melo' Drama - (or whichever uncreative Carmelo Anthony pun you prefer)

Carmelo Anthony caused a stir in the league early on, with his upcoming free agency.  It was becoming clear that he would not resign with the Denver Nuggets when he was freed contractually.  It was also well-known that he had a desire to play for a large-market franchise, and more specifically, one of the NY/NJ teams.  

This played out for months.  This was suspense in its worst form.   The reporting was often suspect and sensationalistic.  New and less reliable sources such as Twitter became the norm in the course of trade rumors with 'Melo.  And for all of the buzz that  surrounded this story, it seemed as if one theme was developing.

No one actually knew a damn thing.

And if they didn't live in Denver or New York, fans weren't so enthralled with hearing about it all day.

It was reminiscent of how Brett Favre's retirement decision loomed over the past few offseasons in the NFL.  It dominated the headlines, yet rarely would anything new ever happen.  And also similarly, the general public seemed to care more about just getting it all over, rather than a profound interest in the result.  

And finally, what most of us assumed would happen, became a reality. Melo was a Knick.  And he was now teammates with Amare Stoudemire.  Finally, The NBA might be closer to having a contender in the largest market in the country.  It has been awhile since the Big Apple has had a team to rally behind.  By seasons end, a sweep at the hands of Boston, they can still be considered a work in progress.

" Grandpa is looking awfully Spry"

Remember the San Antonio Spurs?

Turns out that they had at least one more year of relevance in the Tim Duncan-era.  For the vast majority of the year, they were firmly in control of the no. 1 seed in the West, and the best record in the game.  

This was quite a surprise to some.  They had always projected to be a good team this year, but not great.  There was nothing to suggest a shift from a mid-level playoff team to a number one seed and championship contender.  

Manu Ginobli had an mvp-type year, and unofficially became a star.  Strange to think how far he has come.  Most players do not peak in their later years.  Not to mention the fact that he has a decidedly unique (European) playing style that hasn't always cut it in the rough-and-tumble NBA.  But, just like Dirk Nowitzki, he has adapted wonderfully.  And only now, is he at the peak of his powers.  

Its certainly strange to think that Tim Duncan has now been surpassed by Tony Parker AND Manu Ginobli in terms of stardom.

And that is another recurring theme.  All the way up to Game 6 in the NBA Finals, the battle between a new, younger group of talented teams (Bulls, Thunder, Magic, Heat) was waged against the old guard (Celtics, Mavericks, Lakers, Spurs).

Nothing exemplified that contrast better than the series between the Mavericks and the Heat.  The Mavs' victory may well be looked back upon as the last gasp for the previous generation.  The proof is  in the numbers.  As in, playoff won-loss marks.  Boston was upended 4-1 by Miami.  The Lakers were swept. 

And those aforementioned Spurs bowed out of the first round in six, almost 5 games.  Another unpredictable twist.

And it sure doesn't look promising for veteran squads.  Even more unnerving is their likely destruction at the hands of an elite SUPERTEAM sometime in the near future.  Something tells me that the last stands from our past champs will not be very dignified.  

 

Blake Griffin: King of the non-playoff world

And Blake Griffin certainly deserves a mention.  Somehow he refreshed the entire slam dunk highlight craze.  I don't know if I have ever seen anyone with more spectacular dunk moves.  The combination of hangtime and power is extraterrestrial. Certainly worthy of a few "OMG's."  

I don't think anyone will forget his well documented "leap over a kia car Jam." That image will linger.  Hopefully sometime soon, he will take his Clippers for a ride in the playoffs.  I am interested to see how he performs during pressure situations.

 

Dwight Howard: 90 percent Goofy - 10 percent Donald Duck and Other Brief Observations

-Dwight Howard continued to show a lack of leadership in the most important situations.  He couldn't get his team out of the first round against the Hawks.  But even before that, his inability to take hold of his own emotions were costing him technicals and eventually games.  

-Kevin Durant continues to perform under the radar.  His team took the next progressive step towards a championship by making the Western Conference Finals.  Although Oklahoma City has a good squad, I just feel like of all the young stars, he will be the one on the outside looking in.  He may have too much loyalty to a team and its personnel.  It may hinder him from winning, as others end up leaving for better opportunities.  He may lack a bit of killer instinct, too.  But I'm not sold on that reality yet.

-Funny to think that Jason Kidd and Grant Hill shared Rookie of the Year honors in the early 90's and both are still playing now.  In fact, Kidd is now a world champion.  

via lh6.googleusercontent.com

 

 

-RIP Shaq's career.  He will always have a special place in my memories.  I used to hate him.  I used to bemoan his lack of finesse.  It was embarrassing the way he shot free throws.  And he did not always give 100%.  

He was the ultimate villain.  His teams almost always made it to the finals.  He would slam the ball emphatically over everyone's favorite players on every team each game.  He was successful on a level close to MJ's but without putting in nearly the same devotion.  But he had to be seen to be appreciated.  His simple dominance was infectious.

Not only that, but he was a showman. Or perhaps just a giant kid, as he has stated.  Some people have talked about him as if his personality was an act.  I don't believe it to be.  He had fun.  He got 100% out of life.  He may just have been more genuine than anyone realized.  

And who can forget that the man took 3 separate teams to the NBA Finals.  Truly amazing.

See ya big fella.  

Playoffs and Beyond.....

I certainly don't need to recap the playoffs.  They should be fresh on the mind.  They certainly followed the same pattern of unpredictability as the regular season.  

How about Lebron James in the 4th quarter of the Bulls series compared to the Lebron James in the 4th quarter of the Mavericks series.  Like night and day.  First spectacular, and then pedestrian.  

Now that the entire offseason will be devoted to Lebron-bashing and the forthcoming CBA issue, it will be interesting to see how he responds.  Personally, I believe the bashing has gone too far.  

I hate the Heat.  I hate the way they were constructed.  I hate the whole "decision" situation we were forced to suffer through.  And I hated the celebration in Miami on day one.  

But I don't hate Lebron.  Too quickly we all forget who he used to resemble.  A kid with immense talent having fun and working hard.  And he was well on his way to winning it all.  He's not a bad guy.

Just try and remember him 3 or 4 years ago.

 

In the End, Only Dallas Mattered

And who would have guessed this ending.  In the year of the Miami Heat, it was forgotten rival from the recent past who would plunge the sword in.  And not only that.  Dirk Nowitzki left as MVP of the series.  

 

It was a classic playoff battle that began with the momentum clearly on the Heat's side.  However, an iconic comeback in the second game - and almost every other game in the series - eventually sucked the life out of the Super Friends.  Lebron suddenly lost all abilities to win a ballgame.  

It was a historically bad series for someone in his situation.  He will pay dearly for it in the press.  This is the dark side of this whole situation.  I believe it is starting to hurt this man's mental state.  In all seriousness, it has to be taking a huge toll.

Even the Miami media is fanatical about his failures.  Listen to any sports station Southern Florida and you will hear some real anger.  People have turned against Lebron.  And for some reason its extremely vicious.  It can't feel good to be hated for no good reason.  Anger is one thing, but this has turned into something else entirely.

And also interesting to watch is the progress in getting a new CBA.  As soon as that situation is resolved, the new strategies for competing with Miami will be revealed.  Maybe some new superteams will form.  Maybe the Heat will dominate.  I really have no clue on what to expect.

But we shall see.

Back to the results.  In a season marked by the treading of new ground, the biggest surprise was Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs finally shed their playoff reputation, and brought home the only thing that matters.  

 

 

And Dirk, you are now a legend.  An equal among the greats of the past.  This just confirmed that fact.  And this was certainly a special season.  Even though much of it did not make much sense sometimes, it was a pleasure to see everything unfold.  

 

Even if it did leave me thinking, "WTF!"

-------

Here is my other article dealing with Lebron and other topics I mentioned above 

(Illusions of NBA Destiny)

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Finally, It seems as if Miami's LeBron James is on the path to attaining Jordan-like status.  But there is already one thing he cannot accomplish.  And that's the near perfection of MJ's achievements.  

(Photo: You would be smug too!)

He never really had his ups and downs, the way LeBron has had to start his career.  It was really just an upward trajectory that plateaued and never returned to Earth.  Lebron has exceeded expectations at times and disappointed at times.  But that sort of progression is natural for most star athletes.  

Jordan had a lot of help in his journey.  And frankly, just a little bit of luck in order for the narrative to come out so complete.  That's why it's nearly impossible to compare anyone with him.  

Others may eclipse him in championships, but never in the crystallized perfection department.  He made the NBA seem like pro-wrestling, with the certainty by which he earned his rings.  And once he got started, no one would stand in the way. 

This is not a blog from a bitter Bulls fan to tear down LeBron with comparisons to His Airness.  In fact, I think it has actually become a close call as to who is, or will be better when it's all over.

This is really just a way to remember the good times as a dejected Bulls fan.  I won't be down and out forever.  But the new season is a LONG, long way in the future. But clearly the overdone debate over who rules is back at the forefront, due in large part to Scottie Pippen's recent comments.

Here's a little insight into the legacy of Jordan, the nature of grading an athlete, overboard expectations and how stars like King James and Derrick Rose fit into a league that still remembers those six championships.  

Let's revisit the squad that changed expectations for everyone.

How predictable it all became. The Chicago Bulls.  The Jordan years and the man's uncanny ability to succeed.  He was mentally strong, extremely self-motivated and possessed outstanding athletic abilities. It all translated into glory.  He could do nothing but win.  Beating the odds became automatic. And each new challenge he encountered would read like a chapter in a bedtime story—ending happily ever after.

Other teams—other players—they all had their disqualifying flaws.  Patrick Ewing was labeled a loser from his Georgetown years—ironically losing the NCAA Title to Jordan on a game-winning shot during his freshman year.  The mighty Hoyas taken down by a freshman.  

Ewing's heavily favored teams never did win that title he desperately needed. We all know what happens to the teams that should win, and don't.  Labels can very easily become self-fulfilling prophecies.  

Karl Malone and John Stockton represented boring basketball, at least in an Xs and Os sense. They may have mastered the pick-and-roll, along with a million other life-affirming team traits. In their league, however, superstar heroics are what brings home the hardware. And the fundamentally sound Jazz were not worthy of providing those moments.

How dare these pretenders try and take the trophy from its rightful throne.  If they were "winners," then why hadn't they won.  Must be destiny.  Even Scottie Pippen was aware that "the Mailman didn't deliver on Sunday." And he didn't. 

Real stars would never miss free throws in a close game, right?

It was just that simple.  

That brings us to His Airness, Michael Jordan.  The man, the myth, the legend.  The action figure with the million-dollar smile.  The phenom who could transcend the basketball court, wall street, pop culture and even other dimensions, at least in Space Jam. 

He was a winner.  And if someone was a winner, they never lost. 

At least when it came to him.

That's how it was for a generation raised on the NBA in the 90s.

We were drinking the spiked Gatorade. 

 

This won't be the first time that MJ's legacy will be mentioned in terms of its lasting effects on the league.  It's pretty obvious that it will take many, many years until he is remembered more as a Bill Russell type.  A hero from the past, whose achievements are no longer comparable due to the gradual evolution of the league.

I would venture to guess that Bill Russell's 11 championships are held in less esteem, to recent generations, than the six championships of those 90s-era Bulls. 

We only remember what we are actually around to see. 

Championships from eras long gone can never be remembered in their proper context.  There is always the question of whether the competition was as consistent.  Or whether in the early years, the big men simply dominated because no one else was as tall.

No one would argue that it was due to an unfair break in genetics that made MJ unstoppable.  He was 6'6" and blessed with talent, but not physically overwhelming.

What a disservice it then becomes, since Jordan's teams were virtually PERFECT in their quest for multiple titles. Not only to the other contenders in the sport of basketball, but for every popular athlete in any sport.

There suddenly emerged a set of Jordan rules. Or at least subconscious guidelines that we created to judge the cream of the crop in the athletic world. They were never carved into stone, but I guarantee we have all used them as a barometer for judging the legacies of athletes. 

(Photo: IM NOT IN CLEVELAND ANYMORE!!!!!)

 

 

1. Champions never lose to underdogs.  

If that does occur, they risk losing way more than that season's title ring.  In every series that the Bulls were deemed "Goliath" to some other team's David, the giant prevailed.  Every single one. No longshots.  No odds-beaters.  Only trampled foes.

2.  Great players must always take the last shots.

Jordan not only hit more game-winning shots than almost anyone in history, but in doing so, probably missed more game-winning shots in history as well.  But that is inconsequential.  If the greatest champion of all time (at least to some) made it a habit of taking nearly every clutch shot, then everyone else afterwards had to follow suit.  That is, if they wanted to continue to possess their alpha-dog street cred. 

3.  One Championship will never be enough.  

In order to be truly great, two-peats, three-peats and double three-peats were the key to notoriety. I think we all remember LeBron's halfway-kidding introductory speech to the Miami fans, where he counted all the way up to seven championships as his stated goal. It's no accident that he stopped at one more than Jordan. But once again, he was more than likely joking.  Seven championships seem like a tall order at this point in his career. He may someday regret even mentioning that in jest.

Take a look at Jordan's body of work.  It reads like a movie script that would be too syrupy to be released.  

Remember how little Michael was left off the high school basketball team?

And remember how he used that negative event to inspire himself to practice harder and used all of his willpower to show his coach that he made a terrible mistake?

Yes, exactly.

Who writes this swill?

No one. This really happened.  These inspirational anecdotes would define his career.

He accomplished EVERYTHING. It was virtually athletic perfection.  

But many, many things had to come together for this triumph of a career.  

He had to be drafted by a good organization, willing to put the parts around him to succeed. Maybe the Bulls didn't have to be spectacular in that regard, but he would not have been set up properly on the majority of the other teams in the league. 

This executive support was on full display when he began his quest for a second three-peat. Significant contributors such as Toni Kukoc, Ron Harper and, of course, Dennis Rodman were all brought together to help win.  It was a success.  They played their roles seamlessly.  

And let's not forgot that the team was headed up by one of the most highly regarded coaches ever to man the sidelines in Phil Jackson.  Some would argue that his titles were somehow diminished because of his All-Star personnel. But it would be foolish to dismiss his accomplishments completely.  You don't win as many championships as he has by happenstance. 

No way. 

By that logic, Kobe and Shaq should have ensured that Del Harris was wearing championship rings on his fingers and toes.

But there was more to be merry about.  The Bulls drafted Scottie Pippen out of Central Arkansas. That worked out just fine.  A Top-50 player of all time and closer to one than 50. A solid-gold find that was certainly not an inevitability.  

What if that never happened?

For the most part, Jordan did not suffer with constant injuries.  He did lose virtually an entire season early on. Afterwards he was able to avoid similar mishaps almost entirely. In professional sports, remaining healthy can not be taken for granted.  Ask Bill Walton, Greg Oden, Shaquille O'neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill and plenty of others.  

Even the mighty Tiger Woods may have to bow down to the reality of advanced wear and tear. It will most likely cost him his historic shot at breaking Jack Nicklaus' majors record. It's a shame. It truly does take a stroke of luck just to be healthy over the course of a career.  

I'm certainly not saying that Michael was just the recipient of good fortune.  He made his own luck.  I have never seen an athlete dominate the game the way he did.  Almost on command.  It was a sight to see.  

However, it's not realistic to expect that sort of dominance again in the modern era.  Even if MJ was drafted tomorrow, too many question marks would have to become exclamation points for him to go on a similar run.

It took a lot of outside factors all coming together beautifully.

Maybe in a parallel universe he only wins four titles.  Maybe he loses a couple of them as well.

Maybe he slips in Kerry Wood's hot tub. 

Just ask Kobe, who has been a part of more finals than Michael.  

You can't win them all.   

But you shouldn't have to, either.  Not if you're attending them in economy-sized Sam's club numbers like Jordan and Bryant.

After that team finally broke apart, it slowly became obvious that no athlete of any skill set in any sport could be held to such ridiculous standards.

Let's take the grid iron for instance.

League mascot and golden boy, Tom Brady, not too long ago, took a team riding the momentum of an undefeated season all the way to the Superbowl.

But then promptly lost.  

That's right.  After three NFL titles, his team was perfect throughout the regular season and all the way up to the big game. And the only thing standing between the Patriots and perfection was a win against a team they had already beaten that year.  A team that was one of the lowlier underdogs of the decade, in the form of the New York Giants. He was set up to be Jordan-esque. 

Right there for the taking with a another strong performance.  

But guess what? They lost.

Didn't you wonder what the deeper meaning of a mind-boggling loss like this would carry?

Perhaps there is no answer.

It didn't signal the end of the Patriots dominance.  It didn't mean that Brady was no longer a superstar quarterback or that he wasn't clutch. Gisele didn't decide to leave him for Tony Romo.

It also didn't mean that Bill Belichek won't be remembered as a historically great coach. Of course he will.  That's, at least, one more Superbowl appearance to put on the resume.

The Giants just won the game.  

The Pats most likely would have won big if there was a rematch.

But there won't be. Stuff happens.  

Except to His Airness it seemed.  

He always came out on top. His record-breaking 72-10 team sure didn't wilt when it came down to crunch time.

The Jordan years created this false sense of destiny in the world of sports, to a generation that grew up with the certainty of the Un-Forgetta-Bulls.  

Wayne Gretzky's presence was felt as well.  The first part of his career was spent, much like Mike's, gaining individual accolades, while his team grew stronger and more successful.  Enough time passed, and the Edmonton Oilers finally brought home the cup. And it wouldn't be the first time.  Once he became the champ, he was crowned three more times.  

But looking closely, even the great one suffered a bout of disappointing failure.  And in the midst of a colossal string of success.  

The Oilers weren't quite able to win five in row. They had to settle for merely a double two-peat. Edmonton was shown the exit by a hungry Calgary Flames team right in the middle of all that success.

Jordan would not have stood for that? Right?

See where I'm going.  Gretzky is on Jordan's level.  Maybe pound-for-pound in his sport, even better.  He certainly demolished the record books faster and by larger margins than Jordan did, in comparison with his peers.   

But he lost, and it didn't mean a thing.  

The Cup was returned to its previous owners the next year. 

But I will also admit that when I first heard of this failure at the apex of Gretzky's powers, I was a bit disappointed.

Jordan never lost in his prime.

Nope.

But he could have. Great athletes lose all the time.

90 percent of his success was due to his incredible will to win and inspirational athleticism.  But 10 percent was from factors beyond his control.  

But he did have me going for a while. I grew up thinking that every great athlete should experience similar levels of unobstructed success.  They should all make sensational plays in every pressure situation, year after year in order to beat the "unworthy" stars from the other teams.  

The Ewings or the Barkleys who, in my estimation, must not have wanted it enough or didn't try  hard enough or weren't as heroic or clutch.  That had to be the source of their failure.  At least it was sold to the public that way. 

(Photo: Why Couldn't Pat Riley Make Me a Damn Superteam?!?!)

Michael Jordan's reign made a generation of fans buy into sports as a fairy tale. Something reliable and expected. Not scripted, but without much doubt involved in regards to the outcome.

It created that little voice in the back of your head before a Superbowl that says, "Ok, I know the teams look relatively equal, but Peyton Manning will definitely play above his means today, because he is a superstar." 

Mythology doesn't grind out wins, though, or recover on-side kicks. 

And when Drew Brees led his team to victory over the shell-shocked Colts, I can at least speak for myself in, once again, feeling puzzled over where this event fits.  

The best quarterback in the league, one of those guys that even your mother could pick out of a lineup due to his global stardom, had lost.  And not even in a particularly memorable way. It's not as if he fell on his own sword.

It's too confusing.

What do you make of a player who is arguably the best in the league, who has won a Superbowl and also lost one? 

In reality, those types of conundrums have always existed in sports.  It's life, and it never has been black and white. But those Bulls teams made it feel like it could have been.

That's the Jordan effect.  It took a combination of factors, hinging upon his otherworldly talents, to finish his NBA novella. Don't expect that sort of certainty ever again. 

The stars may not have been aligned, but they were pretty close in the night sky when Michael Jordan arrived on the planet.

And even now, in a league made up of players, who mostly remember those days from highlight reels, those sort of off-the-chart expectations have not completely subsided.

And at least for some, there may be a dark side to living in the shadows of the impossible.

LeBron James took maybe the worst supporting cast of players to ever play for a title into the finals against San Antonio early in his career.  Go back and look at the roster.  It's much worse than you think.  Not only that, but he absolutely willed his team to that perch by scoring damn near every single clutch point in defeating the heavily favored Detroit Pistons.

Most people have already forgotten about that.  The Spurs were a monster and The Cavs didn't win. 

Instead of remembering that season fondly, it has been cast aside as a season that "LeBron failed." He didn't ask to be the next Jordan, and no one should expect it.  He's still a young man. These years should be the exciting prime years. He could be leading the downtrodden city of Cleveland to the promised land. 

What a story that would be, right?  

No chance anymore.  People apparently told him one too many times that if he didn't want to be a failure, he would have to start piling up rings.  

Look how easy it was for Jordan.

Can't LeBron even get one (I would say it's looking great, right now)?

People forget the difficulty of a championship.  It's a grueling journey.  A journey that, for most, will end before reaching the hollowed grounds of victory.

And as we all know, nothing is ever guaranteed.  

Too many times those Bulls teams made us forget that.

Now in the eyes of the average NBA fan, LeBron has signed a deal with the devil. His team is now ridiculously loaded with superstar talent. Many lesser players could win with the help of Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, least of all, King James.

It all seemed a bit desperate and over the top. But it did shed light into the dynamics of the pressure that was being exerted on him to win.  He would rather take on the role of a hated villain than to gamble with the uncertainty of possibly never winning a title. 

He will be booed at every visitor's arena until his last dunk as a player. And at times, it seems that he is becoming, and understandably, a bit unhinged—with angry, mildly threatening tweets early on and somewhat emotional press conferences and out-of-character overcelebrations on the court just recently.

It's not psychotic behavior, but it's not consistent with his mannerisms in the past. This was once the NBA's version of the "Say Hey Kid" before The Decision loomed on the horizon.  A care-free, fun-loving basketball prodigy with an infectious smile. It's easy to tell that all the negativity has taken its toll.

It's only natural. 

And can you really say that the otherworldly Jordan-esque expectations thrust upon him since middle school did not play at least some role in his dramatic decision?

Recently, the newly anointed MJ-like player, Derrick Rose, took a speedboat full of young and talented Bulls up the river toward the island of oppressive expectations that is the Miami Heat's season. The newly anointed savior may someday finish the job.

But not this year.  Not quite.  

LBJ is still playing the role of Colonel Kurtz on his island of stars.   

And maybe he will find himself in the unbelievable position of winning a title, but still being generally maligned.  

"Jordan didn't have to team up with Magic for his titles."  

There is some validity to that statement. 

And give Derrick Rose a few unfulfilling seasons and see if he starts feeling the strain.

Maybe he will flee to his own island of misfit superstars to cope.

Of course it's only basketball.  But the ante has been cranked up for the time being.  It may be our entertainment, but it's also one man from Akron's entire legacy on the line. 

But that's what happens when you win six championships.  And furthermore, when you do it with nary a misstep along the way.

It's certainly not for everyone. Though the bar isn't being lowered anytime soon.

We will continue to watch and see how the pressure manifests itself on the younger generations.